We've been on the hunt for a few months now. So far we've seen quite a bit. We have seen a few new builds that have been great but after factoring in everything that needs to be done they seem pretty expensive. I was surprised to see all the things that don't come included in a house. Beyond appliances and window treatments, things like lighting fixtures, sod or landscaping, central air and garage door openers. Add in all of those plus painting and minor changes it adds up to be a lot of money upfront and out of pocket.
So in the morning we are seeing another house that's s few years old and has been lived in. I viewed it yesterday and I think it meets our qualifications. Hopefully mike likes it too.
Ill keep you posted.

Yesterday was a bit of a tease with the weather. Evelyn and I actually were able to go out and take a long walk. It was chilly but, sunny so it felt much warmer than it actually was. I think we are really going to miss our daily walks now with winter on it's way.
Evelyn has always been great in the stroller. I hope it stays that way. She loves looking around the neighborhood and of course she always gets a fun snack while we are walking. Yesterday like most days, we walked up to target and ran our errands. On the way home she fell asleep and it was a peaceful walk.
Maybe it will get sunny today and we can sneak in one more daily walk.

We have been slowly house hunting the past few weeks. When we started talking about whether or not to buy another house I really thought we would see a few and find one that we loved right away. Well it has proven not to be the case.
House hunting is stressful and exciting. I think at least we have narrowed it down to what we do not want.
Maybe there isn't a perfect house. I think we are going to have to compromise some where. Just not sure where we are willing to yet.

We finally set up Evelyn's toddler bed. It is freshly painted with a new custom made mattress. We went to target and she picked out her own bedding. Minnie Mouse of course. It's a really cute set.
It's been 3 days and she has been sleeping 9 hours a night and napping great too.
I hope this continues. I would like to eventually be able to get up early and get a work out in.
I just can't believe my little lady is a toddler.

Evelyn just passed her 20th month bday. We go to the park all the time and she still has a great love for the swing. I can't believe it's been 20 mo this already. I need to get going on her 2nd bday party planning :)

In the short time I've had this blog I don't think I've ever talked about my passion for running.
I'm not a fast runner and I don't run to beat any records. I run for my health and fitness but most of all, I run for me. It's my time. I look forward to it all day. I put on comfy clothes, put on my head phones and I'm out the door. I get to choose where I go and when l be back. It's a great time to clear my head.
Well tonight it was a bit rainy but, I still wanted to run and I really wanted to run 5 miles. I usually try to go 3 miles.
I was feeling great and was almost home and was at 4.6 miles. The run thus far had been one of my best in a long time. Then it happened. A van parked blocking the side walk so I had to go on the grass to go around. Just as a did I fell. Sliding across the cement sidewalk on my hands and knees. Immediately I felt like I couldn't get up. So I called my husband. I was just 2 blocks from home. He of course yells at me telling me I should run in the rain then he goes the wrong way taking him even longer to get to me. By that time I dragged myself up and started to limp towards home. He met me at the corner and drive me the one block home.
Ugh. I am so mad. Now my knee is swollen and all scraped up. Worst of all I'm pretty sure my husbands going to give me a hard time whenever I want to run when it's sprinkling.

As soon as the weather starts to cool and it feels like fall, I crave anything with pumpkin. I bought some donuts from the grocery store and wanted to recreate them in a more healthier version. So, this is what I came up. I used a mini donut pan and this recipe made 36 little donuts.
Pumpkin donuts

I recently became a thirty one consultant and tonight a friend of mine hosted a party for me. After the party we all played bunko.
I kept my outfit casual with a green and navy blue shirt and some flare jeans. I broke out some heels for the occasion. I always feel dressed up when I wear heels and since I rarely get to wear them I love it.

I bought some dried prunes but they weren't very tasty so, I thought I could turn them into something yummy by putting them into a muffin. I played around with this basic recipe and they turned out great. Evelyn is eating one as I write this. 2/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup whole milk1/4 cup vegetable oil1 egg1 cup flour (half white, half wheat)2 teaspoons cinnamonDash of saltDash of nutmeg1/2 cup shredded carrots1/2 cup chopped dried plums1 individual container pears with the liquid (mine were packed in water)

Another busy day. Soccer this morning, then out to lunch. Home for Evelyn to nap, cleaning time for mama. Then playing outside which included a walk around the neighborhood. Dinner then a much needed bath. Milk and then finally after lots of convincing, bed time.

So, like most people I am really wanting to feed my family as healthy as possible. I have been cooking for a few years and love experimenting in the kitchen. Lately, I have been trying to make as much as possible and cut out processed foods and let me tell you it has been a challenge. Since I am a stay at home mom I get up each morning and make breakfast. Our go to is always scrambled eggs and frozen waffles.
So, instead of making the frozen waffles I have been making homemade ones with the waffle maker. They have been yummy. Instead of smothering them with syrup I add some crushed up strawberries to the batter to give them some extra sweetness. I made a batch and it lasted 3 days with making 2 each day.
Here is the recipe I used. I didn't take any pictures but, they did look great.

Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in all of the flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup or a little more of the batter onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.You could add a little brown sugar to the batter to give it some more sweetness.

My little lady is almost 17 months old now. We have been cloth diapering since she was 8 weeks old. I have found that her needs have changed through all of her milestones.
We have tried many different styles and brands. In this post I am going to review each that we have tried and give you my honest feedback with each.

Here we go:

Flip: by Bum Genius. I have bought the majority of mine through cottonbabies and have got some great deals with their promotions. I can usually get them for about $9 a piece. They run second sales, and buy 2 get 1 free promotions often. The insert options are stay dry or organic. The organic are tri folded. They are extremely absorbent but can be a bit bulky. The stay dry can be used in the cover by just laying it in and folding over the top or bottom to make it fit a bit better. I use the stay dry for every day and the organic at nap time or night time. I have never had a leak and they have held up really well.
What I like about this system is that it can by used from about 8 weeks to potty training. I like that the covers are soft and stretchy and come in great colors. This has been my go to system from day 1. I have no staining on any of the inserts, never have stink issues and only have to wash the covers when they get poop on them or after a couple of days usage.
What I have not like about the system is the the inserts can move around a bit because they just lay in. It can also be difficult to get on my squirmy little 16 month old. The crotch area is a bit wide too.

Bum Genius 4.0. I bought these at cottonbabies and also at Buybuy baby with a coupon. I love that I can get these at my local store and use a coupon. I like the pockets and that I can add absorbency for night time. They are easy to put on and I have only had leaks when I over stuff and I get a gap in the thigh area. The prints are cute and the colors are great.
What I have not liked is that I have to stuff them. I just dread doing doing the laundry and then have to spend more time stuffing.

Alva Baby: First I love the prints. They are shipped directly from China so it does take 2 weeks. I have not had any leaks with these and they fit great too. There are a whole bunch of different ones including fleece insides and a type called colored snaps. These are really nice because they have leg gussets on the inside, which I like because they don't leave red marks on Evelyn's thighs. The insert snaps in so when you wash them you can throw the whole thing in and the insert will wiggle it's way out on its own. I have bought quite a few of the J style and have like them a lot. Also, the wet bags are great. Super cute and really inexpensive. The only con I have is again it is a pocket so you have to stuff them. Other than that I do really like them.

Grovia AI2: These diapers are great because they have a snap in insert. I have the stay dry ones and seem to keep Evelyn feeling dry. I like that these are a one size diaper. I am on the middle setting right now and have lots of room in the waist and rise. They don't seem very bulky. So far they have been good. I have however had 2 times that they completely failed to keep pee in. I mean so much so that DD was completely soaked. It is like the diaper didn't hold anything and she had only had it on for a half hour. I am not sure why it didn't work but I am going to keep trying them to see if they get more absorbent as they are washed more. Price wise, I think they are a little costly. The covers alone are around $18 and the inserts come in 2 packs for around the same price. I only have a couple of these because I am still trying them out to see if I want to buy more.

Best Bottoms: Ok, so at first look I love these diapers. The colors are cute, even though I don't think there are many to choose from that are really girly. I like that the insert snaps in and they are not bulky. I have only used these a handful of times and have a few things that I already don't like. First, I don't like the leg gussets. I know a lot of people really like these but, I am just not a fan. I don't think DD has chunky thighs and these leave really deep red marks on her. Also, Evelyn is only 16 months old and weighs 22 pounds and I am already on one of the biggest settings. I don't see how they are going to fit much longer. That is probably why they make additional waste adapters. They seem to be pretty absorbent and I love that I just have to snap in the liner. It stays put nicely too.

Fuzzi Bunz: I only have a couple of these. Overall I do like them. I like the fleece inside. It is really soft. They are pretty absorbent too. I use these at night time with a Joey Kicks Hemp insert. It is nice and trim. I think these are a bit pricy considering I have the ones that are sized. They are trim but I don't think they are any trimmer that a one sized diaper. I have a Fuzzi Bunz wet bag that I use daily. I do like it and it is easy to just hang on the door. It doesn't have a zipper but, that is ok with me because I bring it downstairs each night so I don't have any stink issues.

I have a couple more diapers that I am looking at trying so I will keep you all updated as to how they work out.

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Welcome!

I'm a wife to Mike and a mom to a sweet little girl named Evelyn and a smart little boy named Jack. We love to cook and travel. From Michigan to Minnesota and now to Upstate New York there are always new adventures just around the corner.